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Friday, January 11, 2013

Non-resolutions for 2013

So, here’s the thing -- I don’t do resolutions. Don’t think I’ve ever made one. I just think they set you up for weird pressure and then so often disappointment. If I want to do something to better myself or change how I behave, I just do it. If I’m serious enough about it, I succeed. If not, well, then I don’t beat myself up.

I’m also not a big goal person. Like, I don’t have a bucket list. I love life and and try to live it to the fullest every day. I’m not an unmotivated person, I’m just motivated by my to do list…now lists I do. Lists are lovely little things – you can see your progress with that wonderful line through the item. (I’ve been known to write something down that I accomplished just so I could cross it out.)

I’m not a goal person or a resolution person, but I do like to get ‘er DONE. Yeah, I just went there.

So I don’t have resolutions – I just have “Things I’d like to try to get done in 2013 if I can possibly make the time.” Low pressure, right?

So here’s my things I’d like to kind of try to get accomplished this year LIST:

1. Finish the dang bathrooms for goodness sakes.

GoodNESS. It’s getting to the ridiculous stage at this point. There are two undone bathrooms in our house – one functions, the other doesn’t. The powder room, that was chocolate brown for years:

Soon turned a light blue/grey:

But if you look close you can tell it’s just one coat. And then I decided to move a new plan all together (seven months ago) – and that’s where it stalled out again.

I have made some progress…but that only made it this far:

It doesn’t look like much now, but it will, I swear. I just need to GET IT DONE. Thing is, this little room is getting a lot of changes, and I need to coordinate this redo with the other bathroom that needs to be finished – the basement bathroom:

The vanity from the upstairs powder room will go down here, so I need to kind of time that just right (and a few other things like flooring) so that we can still use at least one of them.

The first step for that basement bathroom? Heated floors under the tile – it is COLD on those tile floors. I’m stalled out on this space while I figure that out.

2. Paint the family room/kitchen walls and ceiling.

The color of this space is called Sisal – I get asked about it a TON:

It was a Ralph Lauren color that I had mixed into Behr paint at Home Depot. HD doesn’t carry the RL line anymore, but I hear they can still look up this color formula.

Sisal is a GREAT neutral – I love it! I’m just ready for a change. I painted these walls the evening we closed on the house nearly nine years ago. And the ceiling went the same color (in a flat sheen) a few years later. This part of the house always feels dark to me, so I’m trying to lighten in up in here. I already have the ceiling paint, just trying to psych myself up for that job. (HELLO shoulder massage!)

3. Built ins everywhere!!

I have grand plans to put them in the mud room, craft room and Bub’s room. The mud room may not happen this year, because I really want to figure out the configuration first and how we can best use the space we have.

The kiddo’s airplane room already has the built ins my Dad and I made:

But my plan from day one was always to put a window seat in between them. Now that the rocking chair is gone (sniff), we are ready to do it! I have a plan of action, now I just need to take…action.

That window wall will get a ton of storage with a window seat in between.

Let’s just hope I can pull at least one of these off this year. It would be a feat, considering it took us eight months to do the dining room set. :)

4. Basement toy organization

I oh so want to get the bathroom done down there, but this may have to come first. I showed you our stylish plastic toy shelving down there:

(This pic was before baseboards or carpet.)

It looks so cute and tidy in that picture, but that was before we moved the rest of the toys down here. Yes, the boy has a lot of toys, and those little bins are not cutting it. It’s always a mess down there because he doesn’t have a spot for everything. The constant toy mess is starting to make me twitch, so I have been dreaming up a plan. It’s going to take a TON of work though, and it needs to happen soon. Cause Mama is losin’ it.

5. Figure out a new bed in the master bedroom.

I hinted at this last week, but I’m really considering losing the four poster bed:

Thing is, our bedroom is HUGE, but this bed makes it feel so full. It takes up so much visual space, I just need a change. And it’s so high off the ground too – I use a step stool to get up in bed, for real. (And I’m tall.)

I’ve made a few upholstered headboards in my day (even preblogging), so that’s not an problem for me. I’m trying to figure out how to reuse parts of this bed perhaps.

And I’m also torn on a new paint color – I can’t decide between a light, dreamy space like this:

That wall color is called Narragansett Green (from Benjamin Moore). I already got a sample because I LOVE IT SO MUCH. Our walls are dark(ish) now, so it wouldn’t be a big change as far as that is concerned. And I like a dark bedroom, it feels cozy to me.

I don’t know we’ll have to see. Which one is your favorite?

So that’s the list I’d like to attempt to complete this year. This is of course along with a verrrry long list of other things, but these are big ones for me. I really want to get them off my list. You know, just so I can cross them off. ;)

Do you have plans for your home this year? Anything you are determined to get done in 2013?

I also love a dark bedroom. I'm afraid all that white would wake me up too quickly (LOL) or not get it dark enough to be pitch black for sleeping. Other than that -- good luck, girl. You better get started today if you wanna get all of that done. That's a 2 years worth list for me!!!

I am like you, I don't make specific resolutions for each new year, I just try to do my best with each new day. I think it's funny that you painted the evening you closed on the house... because we kinda did the same thing. It is our first house and the day we closed we came over "just to look" and ended up tearing out every inch of carpet in the whole place. Fun stuff!!

I have a list too. The majority of things on the list are from last year. sigh. I love love love that headboard. I keep saying that I want to try to upholster mine but I just don't know if I can do it. I think I like the dark paint the best but I love dark colors. Your chocolate bathroom was GORGEOUS!!! The MBR is on the list but so are the kitchen cabinets that I painted last year. I love them painted but the color was lighter than I expected so I'm contemplating repainting. I can't even believe I just wrote that.

I have a long to do list. I would LOVE to finish our basement. It is framed, partially insulated, wiring is in (I have functioning outlets/switches), recessed lights in. I have the bathroom wired for in floor heat. First, I want to finish some other projects that were started like the laundry room. We also want to tile the bathroom (main, master and powder room). I would love to be able to put hardwood floors in on the main level too. We also have a few windows to replace. Builder grade crappy windows are slowly on their way out.

We just painted our bedroom BM's Newburg Green, which looks pretty similar to the Narragansett....I was a bit worried it would be too dark, but I love it. We put up board and batten on one wall, so there's a lot of white in there, too, and I think it actually looks bigger and brighter now than when it was a light, neutral color

Rockstar! I don't do resolutions either...just don't believe in them/ Your to dos are going to be cool to watch! I like dark for the bedroom. We did Hale Navy and I LOOOVE it! Have fun rocking out your list!

I was going through my Google Reader today and started reading your post and had to come here to comment. I am so not a resolution or bucket list girl either but I, too, made a list of projects for our house this year. We just moved into a newly constructed house so it includes lots of decorating. I have tried resolutions in the past and don't do well with the pressure and all either. Your home is beautiful. I need to come visit your blog more often. :)

I always have a list. If only money was no object. But I think I need to be realistic this year and do some things that are most affordable but will still make a big impact. Paint, crown moldings (we have none anywhere) And replace some more of the cheap interior doors with wood paneled doors (we've been doing that slowly one by one) I would also love some new furniture, but we'll see! My husband is a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" kind of guy. There is nothing wrong with our furniture except that I don't like it anymore. So that one is going to take some convincing! My vote on your bedroom color is the light! I love bright airy bedrooms with sheer window panels blowing in the wind!

I am the exact same way - I love lists! I don't do resolutions, and I only like very generic goals (the ones that are practical and potentially doable!). I tend to make them when I think of them, not just at the beginning of the year.

i love lists too!! Random question...Is your bed a king? I see you have an upholstered bench at the bottom. Where did you find one long enough? All the ones I find are too short and look goofy at the end of a king. Thanks :)

Now for your bedroom, notice you are doing away with all your dark rooms. Stick with same idea ...go light. Also go with a massive upholstery headboard. That's my take on your bedroom. Looks like you are making awesome drastic changes...keep the flow going.

I agree, I just can't contend with the over-expectation thing, so I prefer not to let myself down. Instead, if something is really important to me I make a promise to myself. I then try my best to keep that promise.Some people might say that is a resolution, but somehow it doesn't seem like it to me. I am much better at keeping promises to myself and to others than I am at setting goals that are unreasonable.

I've got a 100 year old house that we've been remodeling for 5 years, so it's no surprise that my list is pretty long. But it's so comforting to see your house and know that even those with newer houses have wish lists and unfinished and neverending projects. :)

My dad's got a saying "Don't s**t more than you can straddle." ;-) Meaning don't put more on your 'to do' list than you can actually handle in a reasonable amount of time.

I've always been a list maker. Put it on the list; cross it off when done. The secret is don't start really big projects until you can get them done without having an undone thing for extended periods of time.

About the toy room: get rid of a LOT of toys before you tackle that space. Your boy will be more content, you will have far less work, and someone else's child will be ectstatic. I promise. I have done this multiple times :-/ and FINALLY learned to stop acquiring so much in the first place. It's taken me 18 years and 7 kids...

I love my gray bedroom, very serene. BTW, I know your young, but think again about ditching the high bed. My husband just had a third:) hip replacement and believe me a high bed is so much easier to manage ins and outs.

Oh my. I thought I was the only one that wrote things onto a list just so I could cross it off. Ha ha!My vote is for the light, dreamy space for your master bedroom - would look, sooooo pretty!This year, I'm determined to remodel my master bathroom. I bought my house in Aug.2009 and rarely use that bathroom. The house was built in 1988 and the master bath was built without a shower (what's up with that? Showers existed in 1988!). I'm stalled because I'm having trouble making decisions on everything. I'm determined to get it done this year or at least finalize plans. Happy new year, Sarah! :)

I'm with you--the very word "resolutions" just gives me hives. I try to set a FEW goals for myself each year, and I don't beat myself if I don't get to them. We're busy mamas and bloggers and sometimes other stuff has to come first. But I think you have a great list...and your projects always come out looking fantastic. You'll rock 2013, for sure! ;)

And in order to free up the room that will become the nursery, I have to get a room finished in the basement for my son! And since his sister has been semi-moved down there for months, it is time to get her basement bedroom finished too!

And in order to free up the room that will become the nursery, I have to get a room finished in the basement for my son! And since his sister has been semi-moved down there for months, it is time to get her basement bedroom finished too!

You could cut the posts off of your bed. :) I like the lighter bedroom. I just redid mine recently a soft light grey and I absolutely love it. I found a grey & yellow comforter at K-Mart....I didn't need a new one, but couldn't get it out of my head. HA! My room used to be a medium-beigy color and I had a dark brown and blue-ish comforter. My newly done bedroom is my fav room in my house now :)

Here's my problem with resolutions ~ who says they have to be all or nothing? Making resolutions (setting goals, making lists, whatever you want to call it) does not mean you're going to be perfect. If you mess up on your diet on January 3rd, that doesn't mean it's a broken resolution and you give up for the rest of the year. If that was the case, no one would ever accomplish anything! Goals are all about TRYING, not being perfect.

I love when you list the things you hope to accomplish in your house, and when you go back and review them. Your blog is my very favorite of all the craft/diy blogs in all of blogland, and I can't wait to see what you do this year!